Austrian atmospheric black metal outfit KARG, has released their new album Traktat in February via AOP Records. We caught up with J.J to discuss more about their overall seventh studio effort.
How has the reception been so far with the new album, Traktat?
I think it’s quite good. Got many good reviews and all that stuff. Also, most of my friends seem to like it haha. And it also got placed in the German album charts on position #34 in the week it came out. And even I know that means nothing, it’s still pretty cool.
You mentioned you went through a very harsh year before writing the new album. Can you discuss how you managed to overcome your personal struggles?
That’s a bit difficult to explain. Sometimes depression fades out from itself after some months. I had a very hard summer, recording and finishing the album. A few weeks after the work was done, like in October, I began to feel better again, as my last depressive episode lasted like the whole 2019. Maybe the album was some kind of katharsis, or it’s some brain/medical related problem. I’m not sure. But I feel more or less ok these days.
Can you talk more about the song “Alaska?”
“Alaska” is more or less the heart piece of “Traktat”. A long journey through the dilemmas of a relationship that’s falling apart, getting colder and colder and ends in total estrangement, but ends with a gleam of hope. Alaska in this context is like a metaphor. But there is also an English version of the text in the songs video, for those who are interested in its content.
Musically, how would you compare the new album to your prior efforts?
I don’t think there’s that much difference to “Dornenvögel” or “Weltenasche”. There wasn’t THAT big step ahead or something. Maybe I got better in playing guitar and songwriting, maybe I knew more where I want to get with my songs, I’m not sure, but it also doesn’t matter, as the last three albums including “Traktat” are like a trilogy to me, so it doesn’t matter that they are kinda similar from the direction and the sound. It’s Post Black Metal, the musical style that means most to me. Maybe there will be more experimental soundscapes on the next release, who knows.
Are there any particular songs that were more difficult for you to write?
Yeah, I kinda struggled with “Stolperkenotaphe”. The first parts of the song were the first output I had after “Dornenvögel”. It was also difficult to find the middle parts, but I nearly failed to find a good end for the song, so the two parts of it’s end were the last riffs written for the whole album, when the rest was already finished and recorded.
Is there anything else you want to say or add?
Thanks for the interview mate. Stay gold
